


La Vanille

by GogglesXKun



Category: Splatoon
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-08
Updated: 2018-11-08
Packaged: 2019-08-20 21:02:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16563077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GogglesXKun/pseuds/GogglesXKun
Summary: The lyrics used and the whole idea in general comes from a song called "La Vanille" sung by Chalili ^_^





	La Vanille

A bright day shone overhead. With hardly a cloud in the sky, it was perfect whether to many. Most everyone in this tiny town seemed to agree too. Inklings and Squidlings alike were wondering about, running after each other in a game or simply enjoying the warmth of the sun while caught up in a friendly conversation. It was lovely to feel the light breeze as it came, making the leaves of the trees that lined the streets dance above the residents that lived here and it was certainly a treat to see everyone so relaxed.

The last comment applied especially to two Inklings, walking down the street with a particular shop in mind. The two were just adjusting to being able to stay in a humanoid form longer than a few hours, the pair had only mastered it within the last year… Though one really shouldn’t be able to keep their form yet. He had certainly rushed himself to keep up with his friend. However, as much as one of them would like to scold the other, they really couldn’t complain as it appeared to have no side effects.

In a light fitting, transparent blouse, the pink fay certainly looked wonderful. The flowery design and white crop top underneath the blouse made it look just a bit more charming. The black jeans contrasted well with the white everywhere. A gold necklace with an amber jewel in the centerpiece decorated his neck, a gift from his companion. He looked rather feminine with his tentacles all down, the length rivalling most of the girls in the school the pair went to.

The other was dressed a bit more simply. He wore an open, black, light jacket and a black t-shirt underneath. He wore a similar pair of black jeans with his outfit. Simple but it looked good on him according to the pink Inkling. It certainly gave off a noble aura, a perfect reflection of the family he comes from. Of course, his tentacles also reflected that, done up in a neat ponytail like most other boys in their town.

The pair turned when they reached a familiar cafe. The music lazily drifting throughout almost instantly made them slightly tired. The familiar smell of the baked goods in the cafe didn’t help much either… But they wouldn’t fall asleep, they never did. With a grin, the pink Inkling looked over at his companion.

“The usual Ari? I’ll order while you get our usual table~”

“I told you, it’s “Army”... But yeah, sure, whatever Peachy…”

“Hey! I told you to expect me to give you a nickname when you picked your name~”

With a roll of his eyes, the orange Inkling took off to get their table near the window, staring at the blooming roses with a blissful sigh after sitting down… For as annoyed as Army seemed, the pink Inkling knew better. Of course, no one else here would be able to call him “Ari”, but he would have argued much more if he didn’t want want the fay-esk Inkling to call him that. No, of course Army didn’t mind his companion calling him that. If he minded, he would listen to his parents and avoid being around him. They certainly didn’t approve of the other’s quirky nature… But the orange Inkling had kept seeing his friend behind their backs. Something about the fay just fit well with the blaze, even if their personalities should clash.

However, such thoughts were cut off as the pink jewel-eyed Inkling came over with their drinks. A simple caffe macchiato for the orange Inkling and honey lemonade for himself. Disappearing with a slight smile at the other, he came back again after a bit, a plate of pink lemonade cupcakes placed next to his own drink and a plate with vanilla cake placed next to his companion’s drink. It was their usual order, so much so that the cashier had asked if the pink Inkling had wanted his usual when he got up there. It certainly made him giggle as embarrassing as it would be to others.

Once the jewel-like Inkling sat down, the pair picked back up the conversation they had outside. It didn’t last too long through. That chat was almost finished by time they got here. Instead, a comforting silence fell over the two as they ate. The melody still danced around them, lulling them into daydreams as they ate… The pink Inkling softly started to sing part of the melody… The lyrics were a creation of the fay, with new additions each time he heard the sweet tune. 

“ _... Macciato and,  
A slice of vanilla cake.  
It’s easy to forget the rest of the world.  
Slow music fills the air,  
An old record’s spinning round and round in the dim light.  
Drowsier ‘n drowsier we get…_

_Look how the time flies.  
But it’s not like we need to care.  
Relax, there’s nothing to worry about…_”

The fairy broke off into humming the tune as the lyrics were lost. The song wasn’t completed but it was working out decently well… The orange blaze stays silent a bit longer to listen to his friend. A rare, playful smile dances on his face when he finally interrupts.

“If you keep singing, I might actually fall asleep… Your voice certainly doesn’t help the drowsy part.”

The jewel-like Inkling laughed from the comment, a bright smile dancing on his face. A conversation picked back up soon after… And that's how the pair spent most of their days. Up until the day Army disappeared…

The fay knew it was bound to happen eventually… He just wished it would have been when he could run away with dear Ari. But he was too young to hold his own in turf and that was really the only way to support yourself without a job in most places… With the drift that formed between Army and his family, it was unlikely the fay would ever see him in their hometown again…

It wasn't until years later that the pink Inkling saw Army again. In all honesty, he wasn't sure if the fiery Inkling even recognized him. He wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. He had changed quite a bit since they last talked…

With a fruity and flirty attitude, he had taken Inkopolis by storm nearly over night. Two tentacles done up in a ponytail with another hanging over the side of his face and an all around tropical look to him, the partying king who called himself “Aloha” had quickly become the heartthrob of many in the utopia. A few carefully chosen words in a pleasant, teasing tone and he could wrap just about anyone around his fingers. He was certainly quirkier and more dangerous than the elegant, if not somewhat fruity, Inkling that Army used to know.

With a sigh, Aloha dragged himself out of his memories. It had been at least two years since he saw Ari again and he had been avoiding reminding the other of their shared childhood. Army didn't seem to remember and, in all honesty, that might be good. He already ran away from it once and the fay wasn't keen on risking him running off again. He had just played along, acting purely as “Aloha” without even suggesting the other may have once known him as someone else… But he always did hate restraining himself from calling the other “Ari”...

Though, even if he slipped up and said something that might remind the other of their past, would Ari even notice? He's been so stressed lately… Constantly running around, trying to do too many things at once, refusing to take breaks… The orange Inkling was sure to burn himself out soon at this rate… But really, what could Aloha do? There wasn't all that much he could do… His partying mannerisms only irritated the other. He was too chaotic and energetic for his old friend now… Though it still appeared as though Army was willing to at least tolerate his actions, like he used to with “Ari” and how clingy the pink Inkling got some days…

With a bit more concentration on how he could relax the other, a bold idea came to mind. It could go badly… But if it worked, it would certainly be a surefire way to help the other relax from now on. It used to work like a charm after all… Though, he'd have to do it himself now… Their usual spot was hours away by now. They'd have to stay there for at least a full day if they went there… Not like he could talk Army into it anyways…

Slightly nodding, Aloha called up an old friend. The scratch of a pen on paper broke the silence in the house as the pink Inkling wrote down the answers the other provided to his questions. With a “thank you” and a promise to visit when he can, the phone call was ended, a soft thud when the phone was placed on the table. A quick shopping trip was made and the fay was dancing through the instructions he had asked the other for, singing as he read the instructions over and over to make sure he didn't mess up a step.

“ _Now we've all grown up.  
Oh how long has it been,  
Since we moved far from that little café?  
You're always busy with,  
All those little things in your life; I wonder if you  
Remember that vanilla cake?_

_That's half a cup of milk and one cup of fine white sugar,  
Two eggs and two cups of flour, a stick of butter,  
And last but not the least,  
Add three vanilla beans to the mix~  
Sweet aroma fills my whole kitchen~_”

For as careful as he was, it wasn't due to inexperience. He used to bake with his mother quite frequently when he was younger… But everything needed to be perfect. No less than perfection for once, this was important after all. When everything was set up, the fay texted his friend to give him a warning… Thankfully it was just becoming noon. Everything should be ready as a pleasant snack sometime after the other ate lunch, just when he was starting to get peckish again. That's when they used to have their snack after all.

Thankfully, Ari seemed to be in a good mood today. Despite the usual comment that he didn't really have the time to come over, within a couple pleading messages, the blaze gave in. He'd be over not too long after the treats would be done, all there was to do is wait. With a slight sigh, Aloha returns to his room, dropping off his golf visor and taking out his hair tie. He may be lacking the old blouse and crop top and his hair may look a bit different from being partly shaved on one side… But it would be obvious in time.

Heading back to kitchen, the pink S4 member idly spent his time on his time on his phone, though nothing really held his attention. No, his mind kept drifting back to the countless days that ended up in the cafe. Kept drifting back to the friend that likely didn’t even recognize him… Gods he could only hope this plan wouldn’t blow up in his face…

A ding dragged the Inkling back from his worries. The first batch of the goodies was done, time to switch which one was in the oven and then set up one of the drinks… Along with making sure the ingredients for the other drink was ready. He wanted no time wasted after all. He wasn’t sure how long he could hold Army here without the blaze deciding that Aloha was just toying with him to make him late... 

Eventually, the second baked good finished too, the drink was stored away where it was needed and Aloha was left to drift in his thoughts again… Ari would be over soon though, so it wasn’t as if that was really an issue… Within a few minutes, a light knocking at the door sends the pink fay’s heart fluttering. Of course, there’s only one person it could be… Getting up and swiftly heading to the door, the pink Inkling greeted his orange companion with a smile, stepping aside.

“Just have a seat at the table~ I’ll go get our snacks, though it may take a few minutes if you don’t mind~”

The orange Inkling nodded in a bit of a daze. He hadn’t expected Aloha to answer the door like that or be so eager to get their snacks… The party king was usually a bit more lax… However, the blaze recovers a moment later, following his pink teammate before taking a seat at the table nearby… Though that certainly didn’t help stop the daze that came for him when the pink Inkling returned.

The drinks the other chose were… Peculiar to the drill sergeant. A caffe macchiato placed in front of him and what appeared to be lemonade in front of the empty seat… If he had to guess, he’d assume that it was honey lemonade. Looking up at the jewel-esk Inkling in confusion, all he received was a soft smile before the other disappeared once again… No… Aloha couldn’t be playing out one of the scenes from his childhood, could he? Really, only one person should know about this scene and he really did desperately convince himself that no one from his hometown was here or could recognize him… Even if such a change hurt…

However, when the pink Inkling came back again, Army really couldn’t deny that this was his childhood friend. The one that rejected his name almost as soon as he could talk. The one that immediately clung to him as they were growing up. The one that ambitiously excelled in just about everything he decided was a necessity to keep up with his older friend… He really never expected to see the pink fay that he gave that silly, yet affectionate nickname to again. But there was no doubts this was Peachy as a piece of vanilla cake was placed by his drink, pink lemonade cupcakes placed down across from it before the pink Inkling sat down with a grin.

In his stunned state, the orange Inkling could almost see the other in their blouse and crop top combo… He could almost see the light that lazily drifted past the blooming roses as they sat by that old window. Starting to come back to reality, he noticed the familiar scent of the cafe drifting through the house, likely due to his teammate’s baking. A soft melody drifted into the room from somewhere else in the house. Of course Aloha would have the old cafe’s tune. He adored it so much… Speaking of the tune he adored, it seemed as if he planned on dragging the other out of his daze with a few more lyrics he had thought of between the time they last sat together…

“ _I have to admit…  
It was no easy feat,  
But I just want to see you smile again~  
Life’s not a race with time.  
Never forget to take a break every now and then,  
To savor the tiny moments~_

_To savor the tiny moments~..._ ”

With the pink Inkling drifting off his singing, with glee he could see the stress and tension starting to melt off the other’s shoulders as it used to. Army gave his companion the same adoring smile that he did when they sat in the cafe together… And that’s all it took for the two to act as if they were back in that time. Chattering mindlessly about everything, joking around about life as they used to… Occasionally the conversation was interrupted as the pink Inkling left to get more snacks and refills on their drinks, but it wasn’t as if the pair wasn’t more than happy to just pick right back up the moment the fay sat down again.

The pair spent much longer in their blissful world than they had anticipated spending there. It was only about three when Army had arrived… And now the light changed color as twilight settled over Inkopolis… Ah, there goes that plan to call his team back to turf in thirty minutes… Perhaps Army should at least go apologize for that… As the pair got up, Army hesitantly looked down at the table.

“Ah, don’t worry about the dishes Army. I’ll take care of them, I always do~ Besides, aren’t you running a bit late?”

“Yeah, I guess I am…”

However, there was still something that needed to be done. He always used to thank his companion for bring him out in some way… Whether it was just childishly saving him the last bite of the vanilla cake he always ordered or buying him something on the way home, it was a silly ritual that he was reluctant to let go of… Though, it’s not as if he can offer much right now… Perhaps…

When the orange Inkling moved away from the table, Aloha had expected that he’d head to the door. However, the blaze surprisingly stepped closer, gently taking the fay’s hands. A slightly confused tilt of the head on the pink Inkling’s end only made the fiery Inkling smile softly. Within a moment, a gentle kiss was placed on the pink Inkling’s lips. A blush dusted his cheeks and a soft glow came from his tentacles, but he had given in to the kiss the moment to surprise wore off. When the two broke apart, Army only gave a bright grin to the other’s awed look.

“See you again tomorrow Peachy? I’m sure we didn’t finish everything…”

The pink Inkling only stayed silent a bit longer. Too many thoughts were trying to catch up with him right now… And it seemed as though the blaze knew this based on the patient smile. Eventually though, the party king did finally realize he was asked a question and that he should likely respond.

“S-Sure! S-Sorry about t-that Ari… Guess I was just caught a bit off guard…”

“Heheh… Then I’ll see you again soon, okay?”

The pink Inkling could only nod in his stunned state, a rarity for the heartthrob of Inkopolis. He usually left others in a daze… A light kiss on his cheek gently pulls him back to reality as he watches his partner. A slight wave says goodbye as he leaves the house, the door shutting with a quiet thud behind him… Perhaps the pink Inkling would need to start spending his weekends making sure he had enough of their treats to last the week from now on.

**Author's Note:**

> The lyrics used and the whole idea in general comes from a song called "La Vanille" sung by Chalili ^_^


End file.
